The automotive conveyor-belt system, which Henry Ford modeled

Question

The automotive conveyor-belt system, which Henry Ford modeled after an assembly-line technique introduced by Ransom Olds, reduced from a day and a half to 93 minutes the required time of assembling a Model T.

Option AOption BOption COption DOption E

(This question is from Official Guide. Therefore, because of copyrights, the complete question cannot be copied here. The question can be accessed at GMAT Club)

the required time of assembling a Model T. (object for the verb “reduced”)

The sentence says that:

The automotive conveyor-belt system reduced the time to assemble a Model T from a day and a half to 93 minutes. Henry Ford modeled the automotive conveyor-belt system after an assembly-line technique. This technique was introduced by Ransom Olds.

The sentence has the following errors:

“the required time of assembling” is wrong. The correct way is “time required to assemble”. “Required” is followed by “to + verb”, not “of + verb-ing”.

It is preferable to put the object of the verb “reduced” right after the verb for clarity i.e. put “time” right after “reduced”.

Please note that in the ‘which clause’ of this sentence, ‘which’ acts as the object of the verb (‘which’ refers to ‘belt system’, and the which clause means that Henry Ford [Subject] modeled the belt system [object for verb ‘modeled’] after an assembly line technique). Most of the times, ‘which’ acts as the subject of the clause it begins; however, at times, as in this case, ‘which’ can also act as the object. It is important to know this so that we do not end up rejecting the correct option in the actual test for lack of this understanding.

Option Analysis

(A) Incorrect. For the problems mentioned above.

(B) Incorrect. For the following reasons:

“the time being required” means that the time is currently being required, indicating that we are talking about some ongoing action. The sentence doesn’t talk about an ongoing action; rather it presents a fact.

The correct idiom is “from X to Y”. “From X down to Y” is incorrect.

The comma after “Model T” unnecessarily breaks the flow of the sentence.

(C) Incorrect. For the following reasons:

Error no. 1 of option B

Without ‘from’ before ‘a day and a half’, it is not clear how this phrase relates to the remaining sentence.

(D) Correct. This option rectifies both the problems of the original sentence.

(E) Incorrect. For the following reasons:

“time required for verb-ing” is wrong. The correct structure is “time required to verb”.

Problem no. 2 of the original sentence

The comma after “93 minutes” unnecessarily breaks the flow of the sentence.

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